The present invention relates to a rotary pinch valve for quickly turning on or shutting off the flow of water to, for example, a sprinkler or other irrigation device.
Pinch valves have long been used in various applications as an efficient way to control the flow of fluid through a conduit, oftentimes with the aid of a pinch tube located within the valve that is squeezed to shut off the flow of fluid through the valve. There are many examples of pinch valves in the patent literature including, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,550,861; 3,685,786; 3,920,215 and 4,205,819. There remains a need, however, for a pinch valve that is simple, effective and reliable, and that minimizes wear on the internal pinch tube over the life of the valve.